So it's a rare NFL-themed post today on a topic I just couldn't resist any longer! Sunday was a matchup between the two NFL teams I love and follow. My hometown Bengals were visiting my hometown-through-marriage Saints. I'm sure Ali's Dad had a front row view of this critical game between two horribly underachieving teams.
So the Bengals had an impressive road win, but their performance was overshadowed by an event that happened in the stands after a Dalton to Gresham TD. Gresham spotted two Bengals fans in the endzone seats and walked over, tossing the ball to the female fan who was reaching for it. That's when an old Saints fan rose up and snatched the ball in mid-air, elbowing the female Bengals fan in the face in the process. Cameras moved in and recorded every second as the female fan begged for the ball, while the Saints fan sat in his seat shaking his head with a death grip on the ball.
Although the Bengals fan (visiting from Kentucky) was eventually given a game ball by the Saints and another Gresham signed ball by the Bengals (as well as a lot of media time and some other free gear), her plight was picked up nationally. Of course, the Saints fan was painted as the villain and has been vilified in the national media since then. NOLA news quickly identified the man and his and his family's life has been shit since then. He claims the ball was for his grandson, and that may be the case.
So I was rooting for the Bengals in this game. I live in Cincinnati. I initially was pissed at the Saints fan too, and considered him a total jerk. I agreed with all the media outlets and accepted the story. But upon further review, I'm siding with the Saints fan on this one!
If you watch the full video, you'll notice something that NOT ONE MEDIA STORY has pointed out. This Bengals fan wasn't in her seat! You can clearly see the Saints fan is seated in the front row in an end/aisle seat. At some point during or after the TD play, the two Bengals fans ran down from their seats higher up in the section to cheer/beg for a ball. Having been to a lot of sporting events in my day, nothing ruins your fun quicker than other fans intruding into your space. How would you like to have kick-ass front row seats only to have to deal with idiots in the aisle the whole game? What about idiots leaning into your seat? This guys had every right to get that ball. Those two girls should have never even been there. Ushers need to regulate and keep the aisles clear of fans during the game. The aisle isn't their accessory front row seat.
So lay off the poor Saints fan. Throw the blame where it belongs - at inconsiderate, rude Bengals fans infringing on the awesome seats of a front row (likely season ticket holding) Saints fan. Saints need to get this dude some free gear and show him a little love publicly.
4 comments:
I have to take a different view. This Saints fan shouldn't even want this ball! This "Saints" fan has front-row seats and wanted a gameball for his grandson - this is understandable and is a great story. Except that he would have to mention that he got the ball from a Bengals player! Why would a Saints fan want a gameball from another team that just beat his own team? I wouldn't want the gameball that Matt Leinart used to beat Notre Dame on the Bust-Push play, other than for being able to sell it! This "Saints" fan should have just let the ball go, because by taking it he shows he's not a true fan of his team and is willing to sell them out for his own advantage.
Ahhh, so Kev... You're sitting in GABP. Reds are losing 6-2 and Starlin Castro for the Cubs hits a 1-run homer to make it 7-2. The ball comes right at you. Same situation in another sport.
Do you duck out of the way? I'm guessing your reactions are impossible to suppress, and you catch it. So to ask the Saints fan to let it go is a very tall order. I wouldn't be able to control myself.
Then, do you throw it back??? This is the crux. Maybe you catch the ball and hand it to Teresa in a show of chivalry or to Ryan sitting next to you. Would you ever hand it to a random Cubs fan sitting next to you? How about a Cubs fan who jumped over two rows into your back to try to get the ball?
This is what happened to this guy. I am still with him.
I disagree with your analogy. Gresham was clearly tossing the ball to the Bengals fan. If you doubt that, then we're done with this chat.
If Gresham has randomly thrown the ball into the stands, I would agree that it's anyone's ball. However, he was clearly and obviously giving it to the girl, and that Saints guy intercepted it and wouldn't give it back. Bush league move, in my book.
Baseball fans always flock towards a foul ball, or run down several rows to request the ball from the players, and leave their seats, rows, or even section, to do so. And the players will throw over the first row to give it to the other folks. You don't see those people in the front row stealing the ball from a little kid, do you? You don't get pissed off that the player didn't give the ball to the folks in the front row but instead gave it to the hot chick or the little kid from Row J?
Gresham wanted to give the ball to the Bengals fan - that was his intent, otherwise he wouldn't have thrown it up there. Without that Bengals fan being there, the Saints guy couldn't have stolen it. Reactions be damned - it wasn't coming at his face unexpectedly. He saw what was happening and, being the cool guy he is, stepped in front of the not-hot chick and grabbed the ball so his grandson could have the ball that Gresham caught to defeat his beloved Saints. Ugh.
This is completely unrelated to the ahove post, but I wanted to make my presence known. I have recently rediscovered the blog and have spent endless hours chuckling over the fountain of comedic past entries. What a joy. My only ask is for more content to brighten my days. The river of Heffernan info cannot run dry. I have bookmarked the site and will be checking in regularly, commenting often. I will exit with words of a very wise man; "Shoes, shoes, everywhere shoes. Put them on your feet and use them as shoes!"
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